Rise of Malicious Software and Increasing Privacy Concerns – TwC Interactive Timeline
Bruce Cowper writes on the Microsoft Security Blog:
Continuing the Interactive Timeline series outlining some of the seminal events that have occurred over the last decade, this post looks at more of the key events that shaped the early Millennium, helping to create the perfect storm.
In 1991, about 1,000 computer viruses existed worldwide. Malicious software became known to many computer users through the widespread infections caused by the email-based Melissa (1999) and ILOVEYOU (2000) viruses. By 2001, there were approximately 60,000 computer viruses known to exist. Code Red and Nimda were two of the better known pieces of malware at that time.
With ever-increasing use of the Internet and the proliferation of online services, the challenge of protecting privacy has become more critical. The rise of company privacy policies and practices helped define how customer information will be maintained, shared and stored.
Resources and links
o Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC)
o Microsoft Security Intelligence Report
o Microsoft Safety and Security Center
o Microsoft Privacy and Safety Blog
You can view the full Interactive Timeline here.